Boxtopiahttps://www.boxtopia.co.uk
Buy cardboard boxes from our online shop.Mon, 21 Jan 2019 16:41:03 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.6https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.boxtopia.co.uk/2018/04/cropped-boxtopia_logo-100x100.pngBoxtopiahttps://www.boxtopia.co.uk
3232What packaging materials can I recycle?https://www.boxtopia.co.uk/blog/recyclable-packaging
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 14:16:26 +0000https://www.boxtopia.co.uk/?p=5905UK businesses and consumers alike are unable to ignore the environmental impact of waste. Packaging businesses like Boxtopia, operating in an industry that revolves around disposable products, have to be even more savvy to waste and recycling than most. The truth is that the vast majority of packaging products that you buy from us or […]

]]>UK businesses and consumers alike are unable to ignore the environmental impact of waste. Packaging businesses like Boxtopia, operating in an industry that revolves around disposable products, have to be even more savvy to waste and recycling than most.

The truth is that the vast majority of packaging products that you buy from us or receive in the post as part of your own deliveries can be recycled, but it’s not always as simple as chucking it in a general recycling bin. Read on to find out what you can do with common packaging waste.

Can I recycle corrugated cardboard?

Corrugated cardboard like that found in our is widely recycled around the UK. Consisting of two or three sheets of flat board separated by layers of paper creased in a concertina fashion, corrugated cardboard can be thrown into general recycling bins in most parts of the UK, along with paper, other types of card and widely recycled plastics.

A minority of local councils in the UK do require corrugated cardboard to be kept separate from other types of paper and card, but if you live in one of these areas it’s likely that you are already aware that this is the case. If you have any doubts, it’s easy to check.

Can I recycle bubble wrap?

Bubble wrap is one of those products that many people will throw in the general waste bin without a second thought. It’s true that the vast majority of UK local authorities do not offer a recycling service that’s appropriate for bubble wrap, but recycling points are available.

Many supermarkets around the country offer a recycling point for soft plastics like carrier bags and bubble wrap. Most polythene wraps and films can be recycled, but non-polythene plastic products (usually made from PP or PVC) need to stay in the general waste for now. You should also remove as much tape and as many sticky labels as possible before putting bubble wrap in the recycling points.

Click this link to see where your nearest bubble wrap recycling point is located.

Can I recycle stretch wrap?

Stretch wrap is actually very similar to bubble wrap. Though not widely recycled by local authorities, it can be disposed of in the same bag and film collection points.

However, you do need to be careful what kind of film you try to recycle at one of these points. As we’ve already mentioned, PP and PVC plastic cannot be recycled at these. Similarly, cling film, wrappers with lots of small holes, crisp packets and anything marked as biodegradable cannot be recycled at these points.

Can I recycle Jiffy bags (padded envelopes)?

Although their component parts – bubble wrap and paper – are both independently recyclable, jiffy bags (or padded envelopes) are not. This is simply because there is no efficient way to separate the paper and plastic as part of the recycling process. We hope that this will change in the future, but for now your padded envelopes will have to be consigned to landfill.

Can I recycle polystyrene?

Polystyrene is another plastic material that cannot be placed in general waste, but can be recycled in some areas of the country. It is often used as part of the packaging structure or as void fill to prevent products moving around too much inside a box.

Not many councils offer polystyrene recycling at this point in time, but it may be possible at some household waste recycling centres. You’ll have to check with your nearest centre to see if they take it.

]]>Customer notice: New box maker deliveryhttps://www.boxtopia.co.uk/blog/customer-notice-new-box-maker-delivery
Thu, 17 Jan 2019 13:30:54 +0000https://www.boxtopia.co.uk/?p=5874We are pleased to announce that we will be taking delivery of our new box-maker on the week beginning 4/2/19. It does mean, however, that any orders placed after 31/1/2019 may have over a week’s lead time. We will try to keep any delays to a minimum and would like to thank you in advance […]

]]>We are pleased to announce that we will be taking delivery of our new box-maker on the week beginning 4/2/19. It does mean, however, that any orders placed after 31/1/2019 may have over a week’s lead time. We will try to keep any delays to a minimum and would like to thank you in advance for your patience.

]]>IMPORTANT Christmas & New Year ordering informationhttps://www.boxtopia.co.uk/blog/important-christmas-new-year-ordering-information
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 10:34:58 +0000https://www.boxtopia.co.uk/?p=5581Please note that our office will close at lunchtime on Friday 21/12/2018 and re-open on Wednesday 2/1/2019 at 8.30pm. Since we are so close to Christmas, please call us BEFORE placing an order if delivery is required before Christmas. May we take the opportunity of thanking you for your support during 2018 and wishing you […]

]]>Please note that our office will close at lunchtime on Friday 21/12/2018 and re-open on Wednesday 2/1/2019 at 8.30pm. Since we are so close to Christmas, please call us BEFORE placing an order if delivery is required before Christmas.

May we take the opportunity of thanking you for your support during 2018 and wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

]]>Christmas facts & trivia to “wow” your family at the dinner tablehttps://www.boxtopia.co.uk/blog/christmas-facts-trivia
Tue, 04 Dec 2018 15:31:29 +0000https://www.boxtopia.co.uk/?p=5489There’s something about Christmas that makes us learn and tell all kinds of strange facts and trivia. From the little factoids in Christmas crackers to that QI book you got your uncle, there’s no shortage in sources of semi-useless knowledge that we regale one another with around our turkey dinners. The team at Boxtopia loves […]

]]>There’s something about Christmas that makes us learn and tell all kinds of strange facts and trivia. From the little factoids in Christmas crackers to that QI book you got your uncle, there’s no shortage in sources of semi-useless knowledge that we regale one another with around our turkey dinners.

The team at Boxtopia loves spreading a bit of joy at Christmas, so we thought we’d put our heads together to work out some utterly useless but quite interesting Christmas facts. Your family can thank us later.

How many Christmas trees?!

We thought that 7 million sounded like quite a lot so, naturally, we wondered how high a tower of all of those trees standing on top of one another would be, based on the average tree height of 2.1 metres (7 feet).

The answer? 14,700 km high! For those of us that have trouble imaging that distance (most of us, probably), here are a few “helpful” illustrations:

– 14,700 km is roughly the distance between London and Perth, Australia.

– With that many trees, you could build 36 towers as high as the International Space Station’s orbit.

– If we built one of these towers every year and stacked them on top of each other, we could reach the Moon by 2044.

Is it possible to make a reindeer fly?

We now turn our attention from Christmas trees to another Christmas mainstay: the humble reindeer. Being packaging and logistics specialists, we like to think that we know a thing or two about deliveries but, let’s face it, Santa and his reindeer know more than any of us!

Every year, Santa and his team of eight magical reindeer fly around the world delivering presents to all the well-behaved boys and girls. This phenomenon naturally leads us to the question, what would it take to make a non-magical reindeer fly?

Powered flight is a marvel of human engineering, enabling us to accomplish feats that our ancestors would have described as nothing short of magical. And it turns out that 4 miniature J8 jet engines would provide enough thrust to make a human fly.

Given that the average reindeer weighs around 3 times as much as the average human, it would take 12 miniature jet engines to make a reindeer fly, or 96 jet engines for Santa’s team (108 if you count Rudolph).

Now, we’d need a few more jet engines to lift Santa himself and a LOT more to move the sleigh, not to say anything about providing steering and forward thrust…but it’s a start…

If Christmas dinner was made out of Big Macs…

Have you ever thought about how much you’re eating when you’re sharing these delightful facts around the Christmas dinner table? Maybe it’s the kind of thing you don’t want to think about at all! If so, you might want to skip this section.

However, we took one for the team and ground out the numbers. According to the Mirror, the average person consumes about 7,000 calories on Christmas day, which is two or three times the recommended daily allowance.

The more staggering fact, however, is that it’s about the same amount of calories as you would consume if you ate 12 Big Macs! Let’s be honest, this is the kind of fact that seems shocking in principle, but we think that a Christmas dinner is significantly more appetising than 12 Big Macs and no amount of Christmas trivia is going to get between us and our Christmas cake.

Enough turkeys to populate the Iberian peninsula

We also did a bit of digging to find out how many turkeys we eat over Christmas (bird lovers, look away now). It turns out that the UK eats about 10 million turkeys over the Christmas period, which is the same number of turkeys as there are people in Portugal.

However, we’re someway behind the United States’ Thanksgiving stats. The USA eats around 45 million turkeys on Thanksgiving, which is the same number of turkeys as there are people in Spain.

Yes, the UK and USA between them eat enough turkeys in the holiday season to completely replace the population of the Iberian peninsula.

2,100 diamonds, anyone?

Finally, we come to money. The UK spent about £50 billion in retail stores between Black Friday and Christmas last year, according to the Express. That translates to about £758 per person.

There isn’t really a way to comprehend numbers like that, but to put it in some perspective, £50 billion could buy you:

– Over 1,000 launches of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

– The world’s most expensive diamond ever 2,100 times over.

– A house on Britain’s most expensive street, Kensington Palace Gardens, 1,400 times over.

We also spent about £25 billion online in 2016, according to Statista and the proportion of spending that we do online over Christmas is rising. If any time of year shows the importance of online stores having good processes in place, it’s Christmas. Get it right, and you could transform your performance for the whole year!

]]>How to maximise your storage space at home or workhttps://www.boxtopia.co.uk/blog/how-to-maximise-your-storage-space-at-home-or-work
Mon, 03 Dec 2018 15:17:24 +0000https://www.boxtopia.co.uk/?p=5472Running a small business and/or household is hard enough without stressing about storage. What’s worse is that the longer your ignore the problem, the bigger an issue it’s going to become! But fear not, because here at Boxtopia we have some top tips on how to maximise your storage spce, and keep it organised. 1. […]

]]>Running a small business and/or household is hard enough without stressing about storage. What’s worse is that the longer your ignore the problem, the bigger an issue it’s going to become! But fear not, because here at Boxtopia we have some top tips on how to maximise your storage spce, and keep it organised.

1. Install shelving in cupboards and closets where you can

Depending on the size of your storage area, shelves can be a great way to maximise space. Unlike shelves that sit in plain sight around your office or home, shelves in storage spaces don’t have to be a piece of art – they exist for their function alone. Choose your wood based on strength and take into consideration the weight of the objects you need to store. You can install shelves by first drilling wood blocks into the sides of the storage area. Then, lay the shelf over the boards and drill them in. Simple, easy, and effective. Shelving isn’t merely an ideal way to save space, but also helps organise your items and keep clutter at bay!

2. Commit to staying organised

As simple as this tip may seem, staying organised is the key to maximising your storage space. A messy space is a crowded one and makes for a disorderly disaster zone. Stay on top of what you’re storing by creating an inventory of your items and their relative location. For example, if you need to store stationery items like birthday cards or pens, have a designated place, such as on the first shelf, so that they are easily accessible. Creating an inventory also allows others to locate and store things easily, without you having to worry about things being put back in the wrong place. Efficient and effective!

3. Use hooks for whatever you can

You can max out your storage space by adding additional hooks to keep things tidy. Hooks are easier than shelves as they require little to no assembly. They’re also cheaper! You can be creative with this tip. Try out adhesive stationary wall hooks, or even ‘S’ hooks to store different household & office items. These hooks are adjustable, can slide back and forth on a rod or wire, and added/removed instantly. Hooks are a great way to add more storage capacity for walls, doors, wardrobes, or whatever storage space you have to work with!

4. Use external storage for non-essential items

Many homes and offices have old items of furniture, hardware or various miscellaneous bits and pieces lying around that they can’t throw away, but also don’t really need to be kept in your immediate vicinity. Placing these non-essentials in external storage clears out the space for other items that you do need to access on a regular basis. You’ll be amazed out how much space you can find in your garage or storage cupboards when remove the things you don’t need.

Self-storage doesn’t cost a great deal and is especially useful if you’re holding on to items until you need them again or until you can sell them or get rid of them another way. A good set of regular sized, labelled cardboard boxes is your biggest ally in this situation. Aim for boxes of the same size for the best use of your available external storage space and remember to look into double-walled boxes if you’re storing heavy or irregularly shaped items.

If you need a hand with getting the right boxes for your storage space, don’t hesitate to get in touch!

]]>Benefits of snail mailhttps://www.boxtopia.co.uk/blog/benefits-of-snail-mail
Mon, 12 Nov 2018 10:41:30 +0000https://www.boxtopia.co.uk/?p=5261When was the last time you got a letter that you really enjoyed opening? A letter that wasn’t a bill or spammy retailing coupon, a letter or package that made you smile and run inside to open and devour its contents? The art of snail mail, or standard posted mail, has the power to bring […]

]]>When was the last time you got a letter that you really enjoyed opening? A letter that wasn’t a bill or spammy retailing coupon, a letter or package that made you smile and run inside to open and devour its contents? The art of snail mail, or standard posted mail, has the power to bring friends, family, and customers alike a feeling of joy right in their home. In this blog, we will explain the benefits of using snail mail for clients, business activities, as well as some drawbacks.

Benefits for Clients

While a thank-you email can have the same words typed, a handwritten letter always sends a better message. Clients and customers alike will always appreciate the extra touch of a handwritten thank-you card or even an addressed envelope. Handwritten correspondence also makes your mail stand out from spam letters, which makes up nearly 50% of all posted mail. This statistic is better than online correspondence, as over 80% of emails are considered spam.

Another way to benefit clients and breed loyalty is by sending a small package including a small free gift or sample along with a simple yet compelling message. You can’t do that over the world wide web! Make sure to always use recycled, reused or reclaimed materials, or even consider seeded seeded-paper that can grow into a real plant after it has been used.

Benefits for Business

Using postal mail for business activities like tax forms or invoices is generally more reliable than their online platform counterparts. This is not to say that this mailing method is faster (because it is not!), but having hard and tangible copies of these documents filed in your office space makes it easier to trace and reference when needed, and is best practice. Using a mail carrier service to handle confidential documents between you and your clients also increases your business’ security, and is less likely to be stolen unlike online platforms where hackers are more likely to get your private information.

Using snail mail strategically with customers as mentioned earlier gives your business a competitive advantage but standing out from competitors by giving your products and services more of a personal touch, breeding customer loyalty and repeat purchase.

Drawbacks of Snail Mail

Despite its benefits, snail mail does have a few drawbacks that make some businesses shy away from it. Its name is not a misnomer. Snail mail is relatively slow compared to instant correspondence online. It can also be expensive compared to online methods, but it can be argued it has a stronger impact on clientele.

Although snail mail is more secure compared to emails and online messages, there is a risk of a parcel or letter getting lost if not tracked properly. Depending on the nature of your business, these risks should be considered when choosing your communication strategy.

No matter what your business goals are, postal mail should be considered as a communication channel to clients and customers alike. Don’t know where to begin? Here at Boxtopia we have all kinds of packaging supplies to get you started. Even if used in combination with online correspondence, snail mail never fails to send the right message!

]]>How to convert your closethttps://www.boxtopia.co.uk/blog/how-to-convert-your-closet
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 17:34:17 +0000https://www.boxtopia.co.uk/?p=5221Imagine you’ve just moved into your dream office space or high street shop. You have so much room for everything! In fact, extra room! While you’re trying to give everything a place, you will inevitably find yourself with an unused storage closet that will inevitably be used for random bits and bobs until it becomes […]

]]>Imagine you’ve just moved into your dream office space or high street shop. You have so much room for everything! In fact, extra room! While you’re trying to give everything a place, you will inevitably find yourself with an unused storage closet that will inevitably be used for random bits and bobs until it becomes a disorganised disaster zone.

But wait! Before you start cramming it with last year’s laptops, cardboard boxes and outdated stationery, first consider converting it into a usable space for you and your employees. Don’t know where to start? Have no fear! Here at Boxtopia we’ve provided our top 3 ways to convert your closet.

Extra Office Space

Depending on the size of the closet, you can turn your unused closet space into additional office space for admin activities and housekeeping purposes. First, make sure to clean out the space and take measurements to then customise it.

You will need to take measurements to consider the worktop/countertop, additional shelving or cabinets for storage, as well as a backsplash that can conceal cords and wires. You should decide what kind of electronics your office space will have, including laptops, phones, or lighting over the countertop.

Finally, you should pick a seating option that can be easily stored under the worktop, so that the space is compact. For a full step by step guide on how to build an extra office space from scratch, check out this article.

Slide-Out Filing Cabinet or Shelving System

If your closet is relatively small, it can still be useful as a slide-out filing cabinet to store important files, letters, and stationery. Like the previous DIY idea, this involves clearing out the space, taking measurements, and deciding on how many shelves to put in based on your business needs.

This closet conversion is ideal for spaces that could benefit from some additional organisation and prevents clutter and messy desk buildup. For example, you could create a slide-out filing cabinet for important documents, and a slide out drawer for miscellaneous office supplies like batteries and staplers. This will save space around the office while also making sure everything has a place. For more ideas, look at these posts.

Packing Corner

Lastly, if you need some extra space for stationary to ship and send packages from your business, look no further! Every office large or small should have a designated packing area for shipping parcels or letters, and converting a closet into this space could be the perfect solution.

Make sure you include shelving or cabinets to store all the materials you need from envelopes and boxes to stamps and tape. This DIY project is ideal for small businesses or stores that are sending a small to medium amount of inventory to customers. For additional ways to organise your new packing station, look no further.

Whether you need to create extra space for your office or simply organise your space efficiently, converting your closet into a useable and functional area is a great way to get the most out of your money.

]]>Green business tips: how to make your business more eco-friendlyhttps://www.boxtopia.co.uk/blog/green-business-tips-how-to-make-your-business-more-eco-friendly
Mon, 29 Oct 2018 16:15:57 +0000https://www.boxtopia.co.uk/?p=5134Today, owning and operating a business that is eco-friendly is just as important as the success of the business itself. Not only is a green business good for the environment, it also has a major positive impact on your company’s bottom line. But where do you begin? Using the 3 R’s of the waste hierarchy […]

]]>Today, owning and operating a business that is eco-friendly is just as important as the success of the business itself. Not only is a green business good for the environment, it also has a major positive impact on your company’s bottom line. But where do you begin?

Using the 3 R’s of the waste hierarchy as a guideline (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle), – reducing your carbon footprint, reusing everyday items, and recycling equipment – is a great way to start.

Reduce your carbon footprint by letting your employees work from home

Working from home is environmentally friendly in two ways: it reduces your firm’s carbon footprint by eliminating emissions produced from commuting, and saves resources through the increased use of online services. These saved resources could include things like paper and stationary by eliminating the need of tangible contracts and material and instead calling for electronic files and documents. Large companies such as REI and IKEA that have eco-friendly mindsets and business models have already taken this idea onboard, and encourage their employees to work from home for a certain number of days per year.

Start-ups and new ventures are increasingly implementing flexible working policies that benefit employees’ increasingly busy lifestyles as well as the planet. This is possible through technological advancements in internet speeds, unified communications systems, and cloud computing that allow for constant access to files and documents over the world wide web.

Introduce reusable cups, mugs & water bottles

While reducing your company’s carbon footprint is a good first step, you can go further through introducing reusable items around your office. Gone are the days of disposable branded plastic cups that pile up in the office bin, and in are the days of reusable mugs and water bottles that can be personalised however you want! Large coffee chains like Cafe Nero are getting onboard with the reusable cup trend as well, and implementing policies such as double loyalty card stamps if a patron brings a reusable cup with them. Encouraging your employees to get more use out of the company’s physical resources will cut down your costs as well as minimising the waste that piles up.

Recycle electronics

The UK creates about 1.4 million tons of electronic waste per-year, from computers to phones and even fridges. We are one of the worst countries for responsibly disposing of these items, while also being the 6th highest producer of electronic waste in the world. Every company across Britain needs to step up their recycling game for the sake of the planet.

Donating unneeded or outdated devices to reputable charities, as well as properly recycling broken electronics to firms that fix or repurpose them is increasingly important as an eco-friendly measure. Moreover, recycling electronics not only benefits the planet, but also others that cannot access or afford this technology when it’s new.

Whether you work for a large firm, own your own startup, or you’re self-employed and working from a home office, implementing eco-friendly initiatives and green business tactics is more important now than ever. By remembering to reduce, reuse, and recycle you can start making your business green now!